Sure, you know we have cenotes, beaches, and ruins in Tulum, but there’s plenty more to do here, too.
Here, we share our favorite Tulum experiences—day trips, courses, and nightlife. (And our favorite cenotes, beaches, and ruins, because they’re just too beautiful to miss out on!) Take a look:
#1: Visit Muyil and Sian Ka’an
Imagine floating down a peaceful river canal carved by ancient Maya people amid a lush mangrove forest, until you reach a hidden Maya ruin that’s over 1,700 years old.
Enjoy a swim in Cenote Corazón, and you’ve seen some of the best that the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Preserve has to offer.
Book through Carey Tours for a well-organized, socially-conscious and friendly experience: careytoursrivieramaya.com
#2: Cooking Classes at Lina’s Mexican Kitchen
Want to impress your friends back home? A sure-fire way is to whip up some tasty Yucatecan food for them, complete with green and red salsas made by hand in a volcanic-rock molcajete.
You can choose from a 2-course short class (learn to make taco fillings and snacks) or a full-on 4-course meal class—all delish—in Lina’s spacious Tulum kitchen.
Email linasmexicankitchen@gmail.com for reservations, or message Lina on Facebook
#3 Visit Cenotes Mariposa, Chen-Ha, and Tuuch
Get off the beaten track and visit some of Tulum’s most beautiful cenotes
Cenote Mariposa is half-uncovered, half covered, with sparklingly-clean turquoise waters and a large comfy stone and wood platform that makes it feel like an amphitheater with a gorgeous cenote instead of a stage.
Chen-Ha is a cool cave cenote, but don’t get spooked—it has a wide open window in its roof that lets in plenty of sunlight from above.
At both of these, you can visit a simple yet tasty restaurant and there are showers on site to get lotions, creams, repellents, and sunblock off you before you dive into the fresh, cool waters.
Cenotes Mariposa and Chen-Ha are both part of Canamayte Eco Park, off the Cobá Road (Highway 109), open from 9-5 daily. It costs $400 pesos to visit.
The World’s Cushiest Cenote Experience
If luxury is more your speed, come visit Shibari Hotel’s adults-only Cenote Tuuch. With a daypass, you can enjoy a huge sustainable wooden deck with balinese beds and loungers, a jacuzzi, tranquil DJ music, and visit one of Tulum’s best fine-dining restaurants, ATTA, on the cenote’s banks.
Your daypass includes a Welcome Kit with nature-friendly sunscreen and repellent, and an artisanal cocktail made with local fruit and herbs, so it’s all a far cry from the typical uncomfortable, crowded umm…rustic Tulum cenote visit.
For a special treat, book an Underwater Photography Session, or join in a Cenote Ceremony.
Reserve a day pass here or find out more about amenities at shibaritulum.com
#4 Dance with locals at Palma Central Food Truck Park
Every Tuesday, a live salsa band sets the scene and a cool local crowd comes out to party amid food trucks that offer everything from arepas to kimchi.
If you need to pick up a few new steps before jumping in, don’t worry—the night starts out with a salsa class to get you up to speed.
Avenida Kukulcan near Av. Xcaret—dance classes start at 7 pm and the party follows
#5 See Coba’s ruins and cenotes
Yes, Chichen Itza is amazing, but it’s also mega-hot with almost no shade, and hours away from Tulum.
A much easier ruins option is nice-and-shady Cobá—less than a 45-minute drive from Tulum, and just as fascinating.
For one, it’s a four-part ancient Maya city (think, like the 5 boroughs of New York, 500 A.D. version), which once housed over 55,000 residents. Cobá is also home to the Yucatan peninsula’s tallest pyramid, Nohoch Mul (42 meters tall with tiny steps, so good thing people are no longer allowed to climb it!)
Good to know: Cobá is gigantic, so rent a bike or a bike taxi to get around it, and be sure to stop at nearby cenotes afterwards to cool off, such as Multum-Ha and Choo-Ha.
Coba is open from 9 am to 4:30 pm (last entry at 3:30 pm) and costs 100 pesos. The cenotes are open 9 am to 6 pm and cost 100 pesos each to enter.
#6 Take a bike ride around town
Rent a bike and you can easily grab some great food from Taqueria Honorio or El Camello in the Centro downtown area, and then ride to the beach, taxi-free.
Visit Playa Paraiso, Playa Pescadores, or the Ahau Tulum Beach, where you can walk right through the chest of a giant sculpture to reach gorgeous white Caribbean sand.
Rentals available from Ola Bike Tulum, at Calle Polar Pte, near Acuaria Sur
#7 Go on a Jeep tour through Sian Kaan’s jungle preserve to Punta Allen village
Punta Allen is a tiny fishing village with just 600 residents, and tons of wildlife around. If you want to see crocodiles, manatees, and dolphins in their natural habitat, this is your spot.
But, getting there is an adventure! You’ll follow a dirt track (or mud track, depending on the season) through pure vegetation. It’s extremely hard to do this trip on your own, just because the roads are so bumpy, so definitely go for a Jeep tour this time around.
To book a tour with Mexico Kan Tours: mexicokantours.com
#8 Go village hopping
Get to know local culture by driving out on the Coba road and stopping at the villages on the way. Walk around Francisco Uh May village to see where people make crafts in their homes. Eat local tamales in Macario Gomez village. Delight in the kids playing in the parks. You’ll hear Maya being spoken all around you, and see traditional houses and foods unique to our region. (Obviously remember to be respectful—don’t take photos of people without asking first!)
#9 Take a Spanish course at Meztli Spanish School
Want to be able to talk with locals? Here’s your chance to learn more Spanish with certified teachers in the heart of Tulum. You’ll study in a small group or 1-on-1 outdoors in a tropical garden. Tuition includes fun daily language/activity workshops including morning yoga, and afternoon art, games, dance, and cooking classes, all designed for you to learn more Spanish.
More information at: www.meztli.mx
#10 Visit Kaan Luum
This shallow freshwater lagoon has transparent jade and turquoise waters, with a deep cenote in its middle, all of which makes for great, unique photos. Come lie in a hammock or splash in the clear water.
This is the kind of place dream vacations are made of, especially if you come in the morning when it’ll be just you, the blue sky, and the watery horizon.
Open from 9 am to 4 pm, entrance fee $350 pesos, off the highway between Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto.
Whatever you decide to do in Tulum, have an unforgettable trip when you stay at Shibari Tulum’s cenote hotel. Enjoy sustainable chic in our luxurious suites, hidden away in Tulum’s jungle. Indulge in a relaxing body treatment, join in one of our sacred ceremonies, or just lie back and hear the birds sing.
Let us be your peaceful home base for all your adventures! See you soon…